The Redefinition of The Pan-Maya Identity

In the previous century it was common knowledge that one could identify the provenance of the Maya people in Guatemala, especially women, by their corte and güipil (skirt and blouse). Pan-Mayanism is changing this at such fast rate that in just a few years the Maya will mix and match textiles from all over the Mayan world and it will be impossible to apply the outdated and expired canons. In La Antigua Guatemala this mixing and matching is already true. Of course, textiles and Maya weaving is only one aspect of Pan-Mayanism, the most obvious perhaps, but only one facet of this movement.

Looking for other aspects of Pan-Mayanism I found the entitled Pan-Maya Ideology and Bilingual Education in Yucatan [PDF file] which shows how this movement is all over the Mayab (Mayan world). Below I share with you an excerpt of the above essay to

Pan-Maya ideology is the conscious construction of a local identity in the Maya area with connections to other Maya groups in Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize, and the United States. Pan-Maya ideology is much more associated with the highlands, especially the highlands of Guatemala…

Pan-Maya ideology is a relatively new political direction for revitalizing Maya identity in the world of the Maya…

I also found a reference to “Becoming Maya in San Francisco: The Redefinition of a Pan-Maya Identity among Guatemalan Refugees,” American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, published in December 1992, but I was not able to find the document (at leat for now).

Perhaps I need a follow up article to expand in the subject, what do you say, does pan-Mayanism interests you?

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